A Norwegian hiker disappeared in the Canadian wilderness, and several days later his canine companion wandered alone into a small town, the CBCreported.
What happened to Steffen Skjottelvik?
The last time anyone heard from 29-year-old Steffen Skjottelvik was over a week ago, on Aug. 14. Skjottelvik, who was embarking upon a year-long trek from Ontario to Alaska, used his GPS device to contact friends in York Factory, in the Hudson Bay, where he planned to stop the next day. However, he never arrived at the popular tourist site.
In a chilling development, one of Skjottelvik’s friends told authorities that during his last call, the hiker revealed that he and his two Huskies had been attacked by a pack of wolves. Tragically, one of the dogs died in the melée. On Aug. 18, someone shared a photo of an emaciated Husky wandering alone through the small Canadian town of Fort Severn, nearby where Skojettelvik was last seen. Using GPS tracking, Skojettelvik’s family was able to determine that he was approaching the extremely forceful Hayes River shortly before he went missing. Authorities say it’s likely that the adventurer was trying to cross the river when he vanished.
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Officials hope for a happy ending, but expect “the worst.”
“I want to hold out hope that we can find him, but in reality, it’s becoming more [of a] search and recovery aspect at this point,’ said Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sergeant Paul Manaigre. Fort Severn citizens have raised roughly $40,000 to fund the search. “We’re looking at a week now that he hasn’t made contact with anyone, so we have to assume, at this point, the worst.”
Skjottelvik planned his journey for years, according to family members, and documented his travels on a Facebook page entitled Steffen’s Great Canadian Journey. “He has dreamed about crossing Canada by foot for a number of years,” said Skjottelvik’s uncle, Lars Jorgen Sorensen. “By foot in summer, and with dog sled in winter. He has saved money for many years to be able to do this trip. He has prepared himself for this trip for many years. He got to know many people while walking.”
